Have you ever tried to buy clothes that you thought were cool, only to have a parent tell you that they wore that shirt or those pants when they were young? Your mom or dad might not know it, but they’re proving the 20-year rule. Welcome back to Fetch Fits, and in this article, we’re going to be talking about a fashion rule you’ve definitely seen but probably didn’t know the name of.
The 20-year rule is a “rule” in fashion that argues if a trend is in style, it will be in style again 20 years later. There are countless examples of this rule in action: the 1990s took great influence from the 1970s, with its love on stripes, platform shoes, and denim; The 2010s was peak 90s nostalgia, with overalls, flannel, and Friends merchandise dominating store shelves; And of course, the Y2K influence on modern fashion is just about impossible to ignore. However, this rule has become less clear cut over the years due to the rise of fast fashion and social media. We are currently seeing trends from 15 or even as few as 10 years ago slowly creep back into the mainstream. Take ballet flats, which dominated the 2010s but have quickly become a mainstay in the wardrobes of “fashion girlies” everywhere.
Furthermore, when a trend comes back under the 20-year rule, it will usually look similar to its predecessor, but with a slightly modern twist. There’s a difference between the newest big thing and your mom’s hand-me-downs. But now, modern items look just about identical to their retro counterparts. You can hardly tell the difference between the carpenter pants, fabric belts, and army green jackets at your favorite fast-fashion store compared to the ones at your local Goodwill. But these similarities aren’t always an indicator of unoriginality. “It’s very nostalgic,” said Ms. Swann, the AP Capstone and AP Literature teacher here at OCSA. “I see that what students wear and I’m like ‘Oh, I remember that!’ And it’s genuine vintage too, like secondhand, which I think is nice.”
While it may seem like trends come and go more quickly than ever, anything could be trending depending on the online or offline circles you travel in. You’re free to wear whatever you want, of course, but the next time you go out or look through old photo albums, see how many examples of the 20-year rule you can find.
